British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has publicly said Brexit did "more harm than good," promising to lay out concrete options for redefining the UK's long-term relationship with the European Union.
Speaking at Labour's annual conference in Liverpool on Tuesday, Burnham argued the country cannot chart a "clear path" through the rest of the century without settling its position toward the EU, which he called Britain's largest market. He plans to use an upcoming summit to present the public with the choices available, aiming to build consensus around one of them.
The backdrop: the UK voted to leave the EU in a 2016 referendum, with roughly 52% backing Leave, and formally exited in 2020. Since then, British travellers have faced a bundle of new frictions on the continent — passport stamping, the 90-days-in-180 rule for Schengen visits, the end of EU roaming protections, reduced pet passport ease, and slower border queues at major hubs. Any move to reposition the UK toward the bloc would be watched closely by holidaymakers, tour operators and airlines alike, though Burnham offered no timeline and no specific model for the new relationship.
Burnham also used his conference speech to announce domestic political changes. Labour's next manifesto, he said, will include a commitment to reform the UK's electoral system, and he is creating a "new national commission on electoral reform" open to all parties. He told delegates they had twice voted to back electoral reform and that he agreed: the aim, he said, is a system where "everyone's vote counts and everyone's voice is heard."
For travellers, the significance is direction rather than detail. A British government openly revisiting the EU relationship could eventually mean easier crossings, simpler paperwork and closer alignment on travel rules — but that is a long way off, and anyone booking a European holiday in the meantime should still plan around post-Brexit entry requirements. Passports need to be under 10 years old for Schengen travel, stays are capped at 90 days in any 180, and the EU's Entry/Exit system is rolling out at borders.
Burnham's comments mark the most senior political reassessment of Brexit from inside government since the split, and while they are unlikely to change your next trip to the Costas or the Canaries, they signal that the rules British holidaymakers live by may not be fixed forever.
